Historic Salisbury Foundation hosts convening of NC preservation leaders
By: Staff Report
SALISBURY, NC, Sunday, March 1, 2026 – Preservation leaders from across the state gathered in Salisbury on Wednesday for an all-day convening to discuss the successes and challenges of their respective organizations.
The meeting, held inside the 1857 Rowan County Courthouse, was organized by Preservation North Carolina with the Historic Salisbury Foundation as host. The event was sponsored by the Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation and included staff from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office.
“North Carolina is considered a national leader in the preservation field,” said Benjamin Briggs, president and CEO of Preservation North Carolina, headquartered in Raleigh. “Our preservation organizations are innovative and creative role models for counties, small towns and bigger cities. By meeting together, we can learn from each other and keep our skill sets current.”
Shaw Sprague, vice president of government relations for the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington, D.C., traveled to Salisbury to connect participants to federal preservation initiatives.
“Spending time in Salisbury was a great reminder that preservation is ultimately about people and place,” Sprague said. “The care this community shows for its historic downtown, neighborhoods and cultural landmarks is both inspiring and instructive. What makes gatherings like this retreat so powerful is the connection they foster — linking local stewardship with state leadership and federal partnership. When those three levels work together, we don’t just save buildings; we sustain stories, economies, and civic pride.”
Dr. Kevin Cherry, Ph.D., vice president of the Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation, shared that “the Jenrette Foundation was happy to help sponsor today’s gathering of representatives from the state’s historic preservation non-profits. We were fortunate to have attendance from one end of the state to the other. It’s good to bring colleagues together, share ideas, and catch up on what is happening at the state and federal levels.
“It is good to come together to celebrate our successes and address our challenges. All of us in Historic Preservation share a number of challenges: a changing philanthropic environment, rapidly increasing developmental pressures on historic properties, the need to broaden the constituencies that we serve, and the lack of historic preservation trades professionals, among them. Given the passion and commitment of those in the room, I am optimistic about our future.”
Cherry added, “Both Preservation North Carolina and Historic Salisbury Foundation are true leaders in the field and were great hosts.”